Ducey declares State of Emergency over COVID-19

 Gov. Doug Ducey today issued a Declaration of Emergency and an Executive Order to combat the continued spread of COVID-19 and to reduce financial burdens on Arizonans by lowering healthcare costs associated with the virus.

Arizona Department of Health Services has reported two confirmed cases of COVID-19, a form of coronavirus, and seven presumptive positive cases, including two in one household in Pinal County. The state has tested 100 people and is awaiting results on 32.

“While our state is not currently facing the number of cases we’ve seen in some other states, we are anticipating additional positive cases — and we’re not taking any chances,” Ducey said. “Arizonans should not panic — our approach will be calm and steady. This Emergency Declaration and Executive Order continue our effort to protect public health and save lives.”

The declaration states the outbreak “presents conditions in Arizona which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services,k personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county, city or town, and which require the combined efforts of the state and the political subdivision and thus justifies a declaration of a State of Emergency.”

The declaration makes the Arizona Department of Health Services the central entity responsible for coordinating emergency response in the state and allows the state to access $500,000 in emergency funds. Among other things, the executive order waives all copays, coinsurance and deductibles for COVID-19 diagnostic testing.

“Arizona’s entire public health system has been working non-stop since we identified the first case of COVID-19 in January to mitigate the spread of this disease in Arizona,” said Dr. Cara Christ, ADHS director. “The emergency declaration and executive order that Gov. Ducey signed today will give Arizona additional resources and authority to respond to this outbreak.”

March 2, Arizona became one of the first states in the nation to be certified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to test for COVID-19. March 4, the state received $500,000 in federal funding to support COVID-19 response, providing immediate access to resources for a limited number of states and local jurisdictions impacted by the outbreak.

The CEO of Arizona Health Care Association expressed gratitude for the action to help its member facilities avoid or contain the virus.

“We have asked for higher standards and today we have them,” David Voepel said. “Because our senior population is especially vulnerable to severe complications of a COVID-19 infection, it is a prudent precaution to restrict visitation and to stringently apply infection control protocols. We must continue extreme vigilance since fatality rates in people over the age of 75 are estimated at around 20%.”